And Still
by Settiai
Summary: Hikari hadn't seen Takeru in years, but one day he seemed to appear out of the blue.


Title: And Still

Author: Settiai

Disclaimer: "Digimon" and other related characters are all properties of Saban Entertainment, Toei, Akiyoshi Hongo, and other related corporations. No infringement is intended. This story, such as it is, was written as a sign of respect and love for the characters, the show, and their creator. I claim no ownership of the aforementioned show and characters.

Rating: PG

Summary: Hikari hadn't seen Takeru in years, but one day he seemed to appear out of the blue.

Inspiration: This story was written as a songfic, and its original version can be found on my personal fanfiction website. The song that inspired this story is Reba McEntire's "And Still."

Feedback: Comments and helpful criticisms are always appreciated.

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Hikari Mikomi was practically racing down the sidewalk, her shopping bag bouncing carelessly against her leg as she ran. She was going to be late in picking her son, Haru, up from daycare. Again.

"I promised him that I wouldn't be late today," she muttered under her breath as she rounded a corner -- and ran directly into a young man who was standing in front of a store window.

Hikari let out a sharp cry of pain as she lost her balance and fell to the ground, landing heavily on her arm in the process. Fighting back tears of exasperation, Hikari carefully pulled herself up off of the ground. She muttered a quick "sorry" as she picked up the contents of her shopping bag, which were now spread out on the sidewalk.

The man who she had ran into stooped down beside her and started helping her to pick up her things. As he handed them to her, their eyes met. Hikari started just a little as she stared into his deep, serious, blue eyes. "Takeru?"

Her breath caught in her chest as she stood up to face her childhood friend and former lover. She hadn't seen him in almost three years, but he still looked just like he had back then. Handsome, cheerful, her angel of Hope... Seeing him again made her wonder why she had let something as trivial as his lack of money get in the way of their love.

"Hikari?" he said softly, a shocked look on his face. "It's been… awhile. I mean, it's… How have you been?"

"I've been fine," Hikari replied quietly. For a moment, neither of them could think of something to say. Then, as both of them began to smile, the ice broke, and it was as if the years of separation had never existed.

Takeru quickly wrapped his arms around her in a small hug. "I've missed you the last couple of years," he said with a sad smile. "How are Genki and Haru?"

"They're both doing fine," she answered with a slight grin. It faded almost immediately, however, as she glanced down at her watch and let out a curse. "Damn! I was supposed to pick Haru up from daycare five minutes ago."

Takeru grabbed her shoulder as she turned to go dashing away. "Wait one second, Hikari, I have two people I want you to meet."

He gave her a gentle smile and gestured toward someone standing behind her. As Hikari turned around, she felt her breath catch in her throat. A beautiful young woman, obviously a foreigner, was walking toward them, and a small child was clutching her hand.

Hikari shot him a curious look as the two of them walked up, but she was careful to keep her thoughts to herself. She made a show of taking one more quick look at her watch before letting out a quiet sigh. "Okay then," she said softly. "I guess I can wait a few more minutes."

As the woman came closer, Hikari felt a lump start growing in her throat. Was the woman his…? No, that was crazy. Taichi, Sora, Yamato... If Takeru had been married, they would have told her. The slight feeling of dread wouldn't leave though. Deep down she already knew who the woman and child were, even though he hadn't introduced them.

"Hikari, this is my wife Mina," Takeru said with a smile. "Mina, this is Hikari, one of my closest friends."

Hikari couldn't help but notice that Takeru was careful in his introductions, carefully omitting the fact that he and Hikari had came within days of actually being married themselves. Then he picked up the young boy who was standing unsteadily.

"And this little demon is my son Kaze," he said with a gentle smile. "He's about a year younger than Haru."

Hikari forced herself to smile as she turned her gaze toward Mina. "It's so nice to meet you," she said softly. "Takeru has told me so much about you."

She then turned her gaze back toward Takeru and shot him a look that plainly said that he was going to be killed when she got her hands on him. He merely smiled at the threatening look in her eyes though.

"Why don't you, Genki, and Haru come by and visit us sometime?" he asked Hikari with a smile. "We've only been back in the country for a few weeks, and right now we're staying in the apartment across from Yamato and Sora."

He paused for a moment and glanced down at his watch. "It's getting late," he said gently. "We better be going. I'll see you around, Hikari."

For a moment, Hikari stood there staring as they walked away. Then she wiped away a few tears that had somehow found themselves in her eyes. "Yeah, see you around," she whispered quietly as she turned away.


End file.
